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Lebogang Manyama says the pace in the Premier Soccer League differs from the Turkish Süper Lig

Lebogang Manyama says the pace in the PSL differs from the Turkish topflight, while he has embraced the pressure of regularly playing in front of big crowds abroad.

The reigning PSL Footballer of the Season is finding his feet at Konyaspor following his August switch from Cape Town City.

He told SAFA Media: "So far so good, different level, they are more aggressive that side and it’s a league with a whole lot of technical players. I think I have adjusted very well, just trying to hit form as soon as possible."

He added: "The level of professionalism is very high, players are more focused on being very good at playing the ball technically. The pace is not the same as we have in South Africa and teams don’t go pound for pound – it’s more tactical, you have to know where to be at the right time. It has been a very good adjustment and I still have a lot to learn."

The 27-year-old says home games typically fill the 42 000-seater Konya Büyükşehir Stadium.

"There’s only one team in Konya and everybody supports that team, so for our home games we normally have about 42000 fans, and that is a lot to play in front of – but it’s nice pressure, the kind that we like as footballers where we play in front of big crowds every week.

Manyama admits he is still earning the trust of his new teammates.

"When you are new at a place you have to learn how everybody operates and how the team operates. To be quite honest it has been a bit difficult because I am in a new environment and the players don’t have that much trust in me as I had at Cape Town City – but it’s understandable because they don’t know what I can do. This is also a challenge for me to show them what I am capable of, and it’s a matter of building confidence one day at a time, and as time goes on, things will get better."

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